Your sleep questions, answered

You can follow the program at your own pace. To make room for busy days, weekends, or holidays, we've built natural pauses into the journey. If you stop opening the emails for a few days or don't complete one of the required questionnaires, the program automatically pauses — and resumes as soon as you open an email or complete the pending form.

It depends. Many people simply don't nap, and that's perfectly fine. If you struggle with insomnia, avoiding naps is best — staying awake during the day builds sleep pressure (your body's natural drive to sleep at night), which we want to preserve. If your sleep is stable and you enjoy napping, keep it short (20–30 minutes) and earlier in the day (ideally before 3pm). Longer or later naps can lead to deeper sleep, leaving you groggy and potentially delaying bedtime.

Answered by Rui Francisco PereiraPsychologist, PhD Researcher & Sleep Specialist

To a point. Sleep trackers can help identify patterns and trends over time, but focusing too closely on nightly numbers can create unnecessary worry. Balance the data with how you actually feel — your mood when you wake up is a meaningful indicator of sleep quality too. Track your sleep in a meaningful way, not an obsessive one.

Answered by Rui Francisco PereiraPsychologist, PhD Researcher & Sleep Specialist

Blue light has a negligible impact on sleep: our brain is wired to react to sunlight, which is more than 1,000 times more intense than a screen. Blue light also has positive effects — it reduces fatigue and increases alertness, cognitive performance and wellbeing. So blue-light glasses aren't recommended.

Answered by Aurore RolandClinical Psychologist, Doctoral Researcher & Sleep Specialist

To sleep, you need high sleep pressure and low wake pressure. When you're anxious or stressed, your wake pressure is too high: your nervous system is too active, telling your brain the circumstances aren't right for sleep. This hyperarousal — driven by anxiety — can both trigger insomnia and keep it going.

Answered by Aurore RolandClinical Psychologist, Doctoral Researcher & Sleep Specialist

Insomnia is a sleep disorder defined by difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking earlier than intended. It affects roughly 1 in 5 people and is one of the most common sleep complaints. It often occurs when the body's natural sleep–wake regulation is disrupted by stress, irregular routines, medical conditions, or other factors that increase alertness at night. Unsure whether your symptoms fit? You can take our free test.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is widely recognised as the gold-standard treatment. It combines a broad range of tools — sleep diaries, analysis of sleep patterns, schedule adjustments to build sleep pressure, and guidance for managing night-time awakenings. It considers your full 24-hour routine, promoting healthy sleep habits and addressing lifestyle factors that contribute to insomnia.

Answered by Justine KelleherBehavioural Sleep Medicine Specialist

Yes — we all have natural wake points during the night. These occur between sleep cycles, which typically last around 90 minutes. Depending on your melatonin levels and any underlying worry, these points may or may not be an issue. For many people they aren't even registered and don't cause a full wake-up.

Answered by Justine KelleherBehavioural Sleep Medicine Specialist

If you're lying in bed and your mind starts racing, it's usually best to get out of bed and break the cycle. Do something low-stimulating for a short while — read a book, do some light stretching, look at the night sky. This stops your brain associating the bed with wakefulness and lets sleepiness build again naturally. When you feel sleepy, return to bed and try again. Sleep comes when the conditions are right.

Answered by Rui Francisco PereiraPsychologist, PhD Researcher & Sleep Specialist